941:; 5 August 1922, Orange County. Oscar Carl Birk, age 36, born Kansas, single, Oil Worker; father, William Birk, born ; mother, Mary House or Hanse, born Mo. Myrtle Robbins Norton, age 36, born in Texas, divorced; maiden name, Myrtle Statham; father, John Statham, born in Florida; mother, Annie Starr, born in Miss.
254:
Hitchens was born in Texas on
December 25, 1907. She was the daughter of W.H. Robbins and Myrtle Statham, who married in Caldwell County, Texas in 1901. In 1910, Dolores (as Julia C. Robbins) and her apparently widowed mother were living with Dolores's paternal grandfather in San Antonio.
272:
It is not known whether
Dolores divorced Olsen or was widowed, but she apparently married Hubert A. Hitchens by the early 1940s, as they had a child together in 1942. Dolores died in Orange County, California on August 1, 1973, and Hubert died in Riverside County in 1979.
909:
1910 U.S. census, Bexar County, Texas, population schedule, San
Antonio, enumeration district (ED) 0017, sheet 11B, p. 264B, dwelling 206, family 228, Myrtle Robbins, age 27, and Julia C. Robbins, age 2, in the household of J.G. Statham; digital images,
950:
1930 U.S. census, Los
Angeles County, California, population schedule, Long Beach, enumeration district (ED) 1131, sheet 9A, p. 29 (stamped), dwelling 218, family 280, J. Delores Birk, 22, in the household of Arthur and Myrtle Birk; digital images,
964:
1940 U.S. census, Los
Angeles County, population schedule, Long Beach, enumeration district (ED) 59-137, sheet 11B, p. 1014B, visited no. 316, Myrtle Birk, Mother-in-law, in the household of Beverley S. and Dolores B. Olsen; digital images,
923:
1920 U.S. census, Kern County, California, population schedule, McKittrick, enumeration district (ED) 108, sheet 4A, p. 91 (stamped), dwelling 95, family 96, Julia Norton, 12, in household of Myrtle Norton, 36, divorced; digital images,
258:
Sometime over the next decade, Dolores's mother married a second time, to an unknown Norton, but she was divorced by the time mother and daughter showed up in the 1920 census for Kern County, California.
1105:
1115:
269:
Hitchens married, in about 1934, Beverley S. Olsen, a radio operator on a merchant vessel, and their 1940 household included the widowed Myrtle Birk.
1085:
1100:
833:
209:
Hitchens collaborated on five railroad mysteries—"police procedurals about a squad of railroad cops"—with her second husband, Bert
Hitchens, a
982:; father's name Hitchens, mother's name Birk. No further information is provided here as it is not known whether this child is still living.
713:(New York: Phoenix Press, 1938) – her first book published under any name; also NY: Bartholomew House, 1946, A Bart House Mystery no. 35,
1120:
1080:
1075:
1070:
544:
530:
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335:
266:
Arthur) Carl Birk. The Birk family was living in Long Beach by 1930 and
Dolores apparently assumed her stepfather's surname.
969:, citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 370. In this census, Dolores was identified as a writer who worked from home.
1110:
618:
222:
498:
823:: accessed 12 April 2015); Dolores M. Hitchens, 25 December 1907 in Texas – 1 August 1973 in Orange County.
242:
66:
191:, was an American mystery novelist who wrote prolifically from 1938 until her death in 1973. She also wrote as
482:
232:
792:
995:; Hubert Allen Hitchens, born on 21 June 1897 in Virginia and died on 3 April 1979 in Riverside County.
834:"Women Crime Writers: Forty books, four pen names, and one enigmatic author | Library of America"
1095:
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1054:
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1034:
1024:
319:
310:
881:
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900:: accessed 4 April 2014); Caldwell County, 15 November 1901, W.H. Robbins and Myrtle Statham.
436:
412:
227:
214:
210:
873:
1008:
788:
306:
296:
880:(mysteryfile.com). Copyright 2003–2006. With March 11 footnote to section D. B. Olsen.
1064:
762:
1014:
428:
45:
70:
323:
196:
217:. Many of her mystery novels centered on a character named Rachel Murdock.
874:"Ziff-Davis Fingerprint Mysteries", or "A Complete Set of Fingerprints"
185:
Julia Clara
Catherine Maria Dolores Robins Norton Birk Olsen Hitchens
469:(Simon & Schuster, 1965); UK: 1965, American Bloodhound no. 504
463:(Simon & Schuster, 1962); UK: 1962, American Bloodhound no. 385
1050:
1040:
1030:
876:. Bill Pronzini, Victor Berch & Steve Lewis. March 8 (2006?).
49:
1020:
714:
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897:
1057:, with 0 library catalog records (cites 1944 publication)
376:(Doubleday CC, 1957); UK: 1958, American Bloodhound. no. 216
937:"California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," digital images,
820:
475:(Simon & Schuster, 1966); UK: London: Robert Hale, 1967
457:(Doubleday CC, 1961); UK: 1961, American Bloodhound no. 366
445:(Doubleday CC, 1958); UK: 1958, American Bloodhound no. 234
382:(Doubleday CC, 1959); UK: 1960, American Bloodhound no. 332
370:(Doubleday CC, 1956); UK: 1958, American Bloodhound no. 193
364:(Doubleday CC, 1955); UK: 1957, American Bloodhound no. 154
451:(Doubleday, 1959); UK: 1959, American Bloodhound. no. 279
388:(Doubleday, 1963); UK: 1964, American Bloodhound. no. 466
195:, a version of her first married name, and under the
187:(December 25, 1907 – August 1, 1973) better known as
914:, citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 1531.
213:. She also branched out into other genres including
955:, citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 130.
928:, citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 100.
560:(NY: Samuel French, 1941), as Dolores Birk Hitchens
174:
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115:
105:
97:
77:
56:
30:
23:
1037:, with 12 library catalog records (1938–1962)
991:"California, Death Index, 1940-1997," database,
878:MYSTERY*FILE: The Crime Fiction Research Journal
856:, 8 August 1973, p. 31, col. 3, digital images,
815:"California, Death Index, 1940-1997," database,
978:"California Birth Index, 1905-1995," database,
262:Myrtle married a third time in 1922, to Oscar (
558:A Cookie for Henry: one-act play for six women
299:, 1955); U.K. edition, London: Macdonald, 1956
869:
867:
865:
8:
427:(Doubleday CC, 1954); UK: Macdonald, 1955 —
240:was adapted for an episode of the TV series
1047:, with 1 library catalog record (1965)
161: 1934–1940)
34:Julia Clara Catherine Maria Dolores Robins
20:
892:"Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973," database,
808:
775:
849:
847:
1027:, with 40 library catalog records
783:
781:
779:
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7:
1106:20th-century American women writers
473:The Man Who Cried All the Way Home
305:(Doubleday CC, 1960); UK: London:
14:
1116:20th-century pseudonymous writers
854:Nevada State Journal (Reno, Nev.)
1086:20th-century American novelists
656:Prof. A. Pennyfeather mysteries
158:
1101:American women mystery writers
246:which aired November 1, 1960.
1:
1009:Hitchens bibliographical data
619:Ziff-Davis Publishing Company
467:The Bank with the Bamboo Door
439:, Bestseller mystery no. 184)
705:Lt. Stephen Mayhew mysteries
407:(Doubleday CC, 1952) — also
356:By Dolores and Bert Hitchens
226:, the 1958 novel adapted by
898:http://www.familysearch.org
311:American Bloodhound Mystery
16:American writer (1907–1973)
1137:
1121:Pseudonymous women writers
380:The Man Who Followed Women
742:(Bartholomew House, 1944)
505:A Collection of Strangers
399:Stairway to an Empty Room
1081:Writers from San Antonio
1076:American women novelists
1071:American mystery writers
683:Something About Midnight
666:Bring the Bride a Shroud
570:Rachel Murdock mysteries
419:Terror Lurks in Darkness
821:http://www.ancestry.com
721:Death Cuts a Silhouette
697:(Doubleday, 1952); aka
664:(Doubleday, 1945); aka
649:Death Walks on Cat Feet
609:Cats Don't Need Coffins
590:(Doubleday, 1943); aka
517:Collection of Strangers
479:Postscript to Nightmare
307:T.V. Boardman & Co.
699:Dead Babes in the Wood
631:Death Wears Cat's Eyes
615:Cats Have Tall Shadows
455:Footsteps in the Night
405:Nets to Catch the Wind
883:Retrieved 2014-04-08.
671:Gallows for the Groom
597:The Cat Wears a Noose
539:(Doubleday CC, 1973)
1111:Novelists from Texas
1017:at Fantastic Fiction
1011:at Fantastic Fiction
711:The Clue in the Clay
695:Enrollment Cancelled
662:Shroud for the Bride
625:The Cat Wears a Mask
421:(Doubleday CC, 1953)
401:(Doubleday CC, 1951)
328:Sleep with Strangers
320:Simon & Schuster
293:Sleep with Strangers
1055:Library of Congress
1045:Library of Congress
1035:Library of Congress
1025:Library of Congress
483:G. P. Putnam's Sons
287:Jim Sader mysteries
282:As Dolores Hitchens
588:Catspaw for Murder
582:Alarm of Black Cat
537:In a House Unknown
523:The Baxter Letters
425:Beat Back the Tide
340:Sleep with Slander
326:editions in 1989 (
303:Sleep with Slander
236:(1964). Her novel
211:railroad detective
167:Hubert A. Hitchens
748:(Doubleday, 1965)
729:(Doubleday, 1940)
727:The Ticking Heart
723:(Doubleday, 1939)
691:(Doubleday, 1951)
685:(Doubleday, 1950)
679:(Doubleday, 1948)
673:(Doubleday, 1947)
651:(Doubleday, 1956)
645:(Doubleday, 1953)
639:(Doubleday, 1951)
637:Cat and Capricorn
633:(Doubleday, 1950)
627:(Doubleday, 1949)
611:(Doubleday, 1946)
605:(Doubleday, 1945)
599:(Doubleday, 1944)
584:(Doubleday, 1942)
578:(Doubleday, 1939)
519:(Macdonald, 1970)
409:Widows Won't Wait
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182:
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148:Beverley S. Olsen
116:Years active
43:December 25, 1907
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1021:Dolores Hitchens
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734:As Dolan Birkley
689:Love Me in Death
603:Cats Don't Smile
547:; UK: Hale, 1974
533:; UK: Hale, 1973
437:Joseph W. Ferman
393:Standalone books
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433:The Fatal Flirt
413:Dell Publishing
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220:Hitchens wrote
215:Western fiction
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980:Ancestry.com
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967:Ancestry.com
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953:Ancestry.com
952:
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939:FamilySearch
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926:Ancestry.com
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461:The Abductor
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233:Bande à part
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62:(1973-08-01)
18:
1096:1973 deaths
1091:1907 births
1031:D. B. Olsen
1015:D. B. Olsen
746:The Unloved
449:The Watcher
443:Fool's Gold
374:End of Line
238:The Watcher
223:Fool's Gold
193:D. B. Olsen
133:The Watcher
128:Fool's Gold
84:D. B. Olsen
46:San Antonio
1065:Categories
1051:Noel Burke
803:References
717:B000HU0N64
592:Cat's Claw
386:The Grudge
204:Noel Burke
197:pseudonyms
98:Occupation
90:Noel Burke
71:California
39:1907-12-25
793:Doubleday
250:Biography
119:1938–1973
106:Education
485:, 1967)
429:abridged
309:, 1961,
243:Thriller
175:Children
78:Pen name
838:loa.org
765:, 1942)
621:, 1948)
501:, 1968)
415:, 1954)
322:issued
313:no. 345
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264:a.k.a.
140:Spouse
135:(1959)
130:(1958)
101:Writer
73:, U.S.
52:, U.S.
770:Notes
552:Plays
435:(NY:
411:(NY:
157:(
153:
50:Texas
715:ASIN
541:ISBN
527:ISBN
509:ISBN
487:ISBN
344:ISBN
332:ISBN
202:and
110:UCLA
57:Died
31:Born
1053:at
1043:at
1033:at
1023:at
791:by
431:as
1067::
864:^
846:^
836:.
795:."
778:^
350:).
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338:;
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206:.
159:m.
69:,
48:,
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840:.
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37:(
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